Life, love and happiness from a 40 something perspective

August 18, 2007

Goodbye, Thirtysomething

Tomorrow, I will be 40.

It's not just another "F-word," it is what I will be for the next 10 years. It will not define me, rather I will define IT.

I have a lot to do in the next 10 years. I have 2 kids to get through high-school AND college. I have a marriage to nurture and grow. I have a career that is really just now taking off. I have a new president (or two or three) to elect. I have a body that will need more care than ever. I have a million books to read and some countries to visit.

There will no doubt be some losses in my life as my grandparents continue to age. One of my pets will not be with me when I see 50. There will no doubt be some unexpected losses, too.

I remember being a kid watching the show "Thirtysomething" and thinking how old those people seemed. Now they seem like kids. Because they were.

I am humbled by the blessings that surround me and I can only hope that my next 40 years will be as kind and generous to me as my first 40.

I am proud to join the ranks of the smart, sexy "older" women that I have admired for so many years.

In regards to not having the decade define you, may I say that it's not at all a bad thing to being fully 40. I do accept the changes that naturally come with 40, 50 and, 8 years from now, 60. To resist this is to resist what it means to live.

Perhaps what you mean is that you will shun the flawed criteria of aging asserted by our youth obsessed culture.

My birthday wish for you is to carry on what you're doing now as you're leading a wonderful, productive life. Continue on with your badass ways, dollin!